NEWS RELEASES
RVIA Chairman Calls For Campground Modernization
Editor's Note: This news item was retrieved and first published through The Star Tribune's website.
In an opinion piece printed in the Star Tribune and reprinted on the RVIA website, Garry Enyart, currently serving a two-year term as chairman of RV Industry Association, said the $114 billion RV industry, and entire outdoor recreation industry, is threatened by crumbling infrastructure as deferred maintenance creates continuing problems in the outdated Eisenhower-era federal campground system. According to the most recent NPS Asset Inventory Summary, that deferred maintenance totals $78 million in campground infrastructure plus more than $6.5 billion directly affecting roads, bridges and water systems on NPS lands. Another study found that for every dollar Congress invests in the National Park Service, $10 is returned to the U.S. economy, directly benefiting rural areas and gateway communities near national parks.
Enyart suggests several initiatives to address the problem that go beyond simple infrastructure repair. The NPS and other public lands agencies could implement new experiences and facilities to raise additional revenue, such as extended shoulder and non-peak seasons; dynamic fee categories for improved campsites and services; rentals of on-site accommodations and outdoor recreation equipment and gear; and the extension of broadband Wi-Fi to provide consistent internet access at campgrounds. Members of the industry and the public can urge members of Congress to support these initiatives at the RVIA’s RV Action Center website.
The full text of Enyart’s statement can be read on the RVIA website.
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